This invention relates in general to seat systems for passenger vehicles, and in particular is concerned with a seat system that can be folded to provide a support surface extending from a trunk compartment to a front seat.
A common seat system for a passenger compartment of an automobile includes a front driver bucket seat, a front passenger bucket seat, and a rear passenger bench seat. Each of the bucket seats includes a seat bottom and a seat back. A seat back is hinged to a seat bottom and can be pivoted forward to allow access to the rear bench seat. Oftentimes, the seat back pivots forward approximately forty-five degrees from a generally vertical support position. The seat bottom can be mounted on a track assembly to permit a seat to be adjusted along a longitudinal axis of the automobile for comfort of an occupant and access to the rear seat.
A common rear bench seat includes a seat bottom spanning a desired width of the automobile and a seat back spanning a similar width. The seat bottom is usually fixed relative to a floor of the passenger compartment. A rear surface of the seat back oftentimes forms a wall of a trunk compartment. To provide convenient storage of long items (such as skis, lumber, etc.) forward folding rear seat backs have been provided. In certain vehicles, the rear seat back has been formed into two separate panels, one or both of which can be folded forward. A common split seat back is formed into a first panel having approximately one-third of a width of the total rear seat back and a second panel having approximately two-thirds of a width of the total rear seat back. In other rear seat backs, a center panel has been provided to provide access to the trunk compartment.
It is desirable to provide a seat arrangement in a passenger vehicle that can support items extending from a trunk compartment into a passenger compartment. Furthermore, it is desirable to provide a seat arrangement that can provide desirable workspace for occupants of the passenger compartment.